A report from Bankrate. "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are rolling out new rules covering condo loans - and critics say the stricter reviews are causing condo sales to fall apart, even in buildings with no structural issues. Because most…
A weekend topic starting with the Tribune in California. "Convicted fraudster and former Atascadero Citizen of the Year Kelly Gearhart was released from federal prison Wednesday. Gearhart, a former real estate developer in San Luis Obispo County, pleaded guilty to…
It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "So-called iBuyers purchased a total of 70,402 homes in 2021, more than doubling the number purchased in 2019, according to Zillow. The shopping spree led to Zillow’s implosion and a lot of…
A report from Investor Place. "Opendoor Technologies just released its Q4 financials, including its full-year 2021 results. It is likely to stay down as long as the company keeps digging itself into a hole. The $5.8b billion in home purchases…
A report from Market Watch. "Researchers pointed to Miami as an example for their argument. During the market’s peak in late 2006, buyers there paid nearly $340,000 on average to purchase a home. Only now are many of those buyers…
A report from the Oregonian. "The Regional Multiple Listing Service’s January 2022 market action reports show that median sale prices, while still high, have dropped from 2021 peaks everywhere in the region except Clark County in southwest Washington. The average…
A report from the Wall Street Journal. "During the fourth quarter, Zillow lost an average of about $25,000 on every home it sold, before interest expense. On Feb. 10, Zillow Group said it lost $881 million on its algorithmic-driven home-flipping…
A report from Mortgage News Daily. "Sometimes, someone unexpected comes into your life outta nowhere, makes your heart race, and changes you forever. We call those people cops. (Where did you think that was going?) There are always riddles and…
A report from the New York Times. "For Claudia Ruffle, living in a co-housing community was a lifelong dream. So she was among the early supporters of what was envisioned as Connecticut’s first co-housing community. Ms. Ruffle and a friend…
A weekend topic starting with the Globe and Mail. "With money so cheap and home appreciation so high, home ownership has taken on a whole new meaning. A key feature is that it’s altered our relationship to mortgage debt. The…